On Cheating.

Siberys · Post by **Siberys** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 8:03 pm

Alrighty guys and girls, time for another poll, about cheating in video games. Doesn't matter the game, but the question is simple, do you cheat and why or why not?

I don't cheat for two MAJOR reasons. One, it takes away the actual challenge in the game, and presents no difficulty to you. Some occasions I have cheated, but found the game to be rather easy afterwards.

The second goes hand in hand with the first, being that it makes the game boring. It takes away the surprises of the game, by giving you spells you shouldn't have at the beginning, it takes away the fun in randomness by giving you set special items of Uber quality that are normally not in the game. It takes away the fun period, just by advancing your character when other NPC's or monsters, or enemies are the same level.

So, my question is once again, do you cheat, and if so, why. If not, tell us why not. I saw a lot of threads about cheating, gold cheats, XP cheats, codes for morrowind, etc, so I felt like starting this thread.

Magrus · Post by **Magrus** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 8:08 pm

Yep. Why? Ever since I sat down and figure out how to make a game, I haven't actually played through and beaten a game. No, I now just tinker with them. See how far I can push the engine before it crashes, slows down, errors, etc. Some of the cheats you can use really do help with that.

In fact, the majority of them are simply test codes left in the game from playtesting. You know those codes to turn off clipping, teleport, level, etc? All there to help playtesters make sure the bugs are out and everything is working smoothly.

Bloodstalker · Post by **Bloodstalker** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 1:13 am

Sometimes I take advantage of cheat codes in certain situations such as when I got the expansions for Morrowind. I wanted to play the expansions, but couldn't stomach the idea of starting from scratch and getting to a high enough level to survive those areas. So I used every cheat I knew to level up as fast as I could. I do the same thing from time to time with a few other games.

I don't cheat the first time through a game though. For me, it just doesn;t make sense to pay money for a game and then take the challenge out of it.

Magelord648 · Post by **Magelord648** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 7:08 am

I cheat sometimes but I always cheat on a separate savefile.

TonyMontana1638 · Post by **TonyMontana1638** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 7:18 am

I haven't liked cheating ever since the GoldenEye days when my friends did nothing but try and hunt down cheat codes with their GameSharks. I've had an intense dislike for it ever since because it just makes the games pointless. The only game I've ever found cheats to be necessary was Doom II: even with God-mode and Unlimited ammo (IDKFA and IDDQD respectively

) I couldn't beat that game. I never cheat anymore and try to avoid using cheap tactics in games too (ie. taking advantage of bugs and whatnot) just becasue it tends to take all the difficulty out of a game.

mr_sir · Post by **mr_sir** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 12:22 pm

i cheat sometimes, but i try to only do it when i am so stuck that i don't really see any other option, or if i am getting really frustrated in a really hard final battle I'd cheat a bit (like replenish my health) so I can finish the game

I do try not to cheat usually though so I'd say I only very rarely actually do use cheat codes.

DaveO · Post by **DaveO** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 6:14 pm

I don't cheat on any game I've played. I've always enjoyed the exploration options of an RPG, or earning my accomplishments for the occasional action game. For games that have difficulty levels, I've been able to beat them on the highest difficulty without cheats. Without challenges to overcome using your own skills, there is no possibility for personal growth.

Ravager · Post by **Ravager** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 7:17 pm

Well, I haven't resorted to cheat codes in years, but I have looked at walkthroughs quite a lot before, especially for puzzle-based games like Myst and to a lesser extent RPG's. Using cheat codes seems more of a cheat to me than looking a walkthrough now and again though. Depends on how much you use/rely on it.

wherewolf gal · Post by **wherewolf gal** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 11:39 pm

I cant realy say on some i do and some i dont,you should put three posibel awnsers.

RBitG · Post by **RBitG** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 2:50 am

Hmm, i'll agree that cheating the first time round, does take almost all of the fun out of a game, so i never use cheats, except when i have clocked the particular game several times over, and then i try and squeeze every ounce of juicy gaming goodness out of it.

fable · Post by **fable** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 7:35 am

Don't use 'em, myself. If a game's well-balanced, then to me, using cheats removes the challenge, and the pleasure of winning. If it's not well-balanced, I stop playing it. But if anybody else wants to cheat, provided they bought the game, that's their business and not mine.

Droideka1179 · Post by **Droideka1179** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 12:45 pm

Hi my name is Droideka and well.... I'M A CHEATER! *sob* It started out innocently you know, just a health cheat here and an upgrade there, but then I just couldn't stop! I began typing in unlimited health cheats and unlimited ammo cheats. So there you have it, I'm a cheater and I'm not proud of it, although I don't use cheats for morrowind.

RBitG · Post by **RBitG** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 2:02 pm

[QUOTE=Droideka1179]Hi my name is Droideka and well.... I'M A CHEATER! *sob* It started out innocently you know, just a health cheat here and an upgrade there, but then I just couldn't stop! I began typing in unlimited health cheats and unlimited ammo cheats. So there you have it, I'm a cheater and I'm not proud of it, although I don't use cheats for morrowind.[/QUOTE]

Don't worry, we're here for you, i know we've all had sudden uncontrollable urges to type in a code or two, but the key is moderation. Don't use too much at once, and you won't become addicted... er... more so, that is.

Lonelypilgrim · Post by **Lonelypilgrim** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 11:41 am

No,i dont cheat.Again i have to agree with a few others that it removes the challange of the game.Games are often too easy to beat and why should i make it even more easyer?

In most Rpg-games you are a God in the end.If you cheat,you become that right away,thus missing all the fun and exitment that other get when they try hard to get themselves so tough.

Mostly i dont cheat because of my rpg style.I take it as I am the one who's killing the monsters/saving the world.How likely is it that someone will bless you with skills to do that when you are just a child?

Kipi · Post by **Kipi** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 12:37 pm

My answer would actually be both yes and no. But since I don't count it when I cheat when playing the game seventh time, my final answer is no, I don't cheat.

The reasons why I don't cheat when playing the game first or second time is what most have said here before me: it takes so much out from the game. When I have finished the game at least twice, then I may use cheats. Mostly on those situations I don't really get deep in the game, but mostly just fool around, so the cheating isn't so big deal in those sessions.

TonyMontana1638 · Post by **TonyMontana1638** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 1:44 pm

[QUOTE=RBitG]Don't we're here for you, i know we've all had sudden uncontrollable urges to type in a code or two, but the key is moderation. Don't use too much at once, and you won't become addicted... er... more so, that is.[/QUOTE]

*nods* What Brother RBG said... :laugh:

Phreddie · Post by **Phreddie** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 8:24 pm

Forgive me father for I have sinned, I cheated on my video games. *sobs*

Yeah, I cheat, normally I wait to beat a game before I do it, or to take away an element I cant stand in an otherwise perfect game for me, for example Age of Empires (any of the series), I love fielding massive armies and plannig strategic military battles, what I hate is having to wait so long to build a mediocre army and have it destroyed because I was impatient and didnt have enough resources. I play RTS games for the military, not economic, thrills. In Rpg's I only cheat once Im done or if after a month of trying cannot get past a particular point, i dont like taking the challenge out of games, although I will admit, there is some pleasure for my Inner Child when I turn into Uber Pea and slaughter the masses. Cheating can be fun,just like drinking, when taken in moderation.

TonyMontana1638 · Post by **TonyMontana1638** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 8:51 pm

[QUOTE=Phreddie]In Rpg's I only cheat once Im done or if after a month of trying cannot get past a particular point, i dont like taking the challenge out of games, although I will admit, there is some pleasure for my Inner Child when I turn into Uber Pea and slaughter the masses. Cheating can be fun,just like drinking, when taken in moderation.[/QUOTE]

"Inner child"? Aren't you like 13?

Rookierookie · Post by **Rookierookie** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 10:59 am

I use the console like crazy in Morrowind, because it simply takes an insane amount of time to get anywhere or even to sell something.

Cuchulain82 · Post by **Cuchulain82** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 11:22 am

I cheat in games, but only RPGs. And, the only RPGs I play are D&D-style rpgs, basically just BGII and, now, NWN. I cheat in BGII because I have played it solidly for years and at this point, like many other long-time BGII players, I've pretty much done it all. I don't have to cheat, but giving myself cash and the ability scores I want via cheating is simply a time-saver.

In the case of NWN (and other Bioware D&D 3rd Ed RPGs, like KOTOR) I cheat because I really don't like the point-buy system. I think it takes away the dynamic, chaotic influence of sitting around the table. Actually, I recently used BGII to roll up my NWN character, and then altered my stats accordingly

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